The Parable of the Archer’s Target.
Far too often, I have found myself distracted by ‘other’ things that I thought were absolutely vital and essential to the church of God. The sad reality is that they were not. They were petty distractions, and to my shame, I wasted far too much time and energy flirting, dancing and wrestling with them.
I had forgotten about the main thing. And the main thing to remember is that The Main Thing is The Main Thing and THE Main Thing is always… ‘Him’.
I console myself a little because Mother Church has sometimes been distracted, and some of my most admired colleagues have also fallen for this trap.
One of them once came to my aid by telling me a mini parable about an archer’s target. You always aim straight for the centre, the bull's eye. Don’t be distracted by the outer rings, which, while they are necessary, are not the most important thing. The outer circles are not what you are aiming for. What you are aiming for is the bull’s eye. Plump and centre.
Archery, like relationships, takes time, practice and an unceasing willingness to persevere. Focus only on the bull's eye, and the outer rings fall into their proper perspective. They enhance and complete the target. They are not THE target. Only the bull's eye is.
The finest archers, the most athletic runners, and the most convivial people are those who actually enjoy what they are doing. Whether it’s high jumping, leapfrogging, cooking lamb roasts or engaging in witty conversation, they are admirable because they are simply enjoying themselves. We will have consistently hit the bull's eye when we can breathe, allow the distractions to dissolve, and let the arrow fly. It will find its home when we know we have always been at home.